Improving acute stroke care in regional hospitals: clinical evaluation of the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine program

Objectives To evaluate the impact of the Victorian Stroke Telemedicine (VST) program during its first 12 months on the quality of care provided to patients presenting with suspected stroke to hospitals in regional Victoria. Design Historical controlled cohort study comparing outcomes during a 12-month control period with those for the initial 12 months of full implementation of the VST program at each hospital. Setting 16 hospitals in regional...